chipKIT® Development Platform

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Bootloader Problem. Please Help

Created Sat, 01 Dec 2012 23:03:23 +0000 by acmilangr

acmilangr

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 23:03:23 +0000

Hi.

Long time ago i designed my own PCB board with the PIC32MX795F512L as proccessor. The board includes many other componenets( NVRAM, RS485,BLUETOOTH). So i was Burning bootloader (from digilent website) with success (using MPLAB and KITPIC 3) and then i used MPIDE for uploading the scetch ( i am using FTDI on rx/tx pins). All were fines

Yesterday i soldered another PIC32MX795F512L to another PCB. I succed to burn bootloader but i CANT upload any code using MPIDE. it stucks on "Uploading..." I tried another NEW pcb with new one PIC32MX795F512L and i still continued to have the same problem! So the MPLAB finds the chip, it burns bootloader with success but MPIDE doesnt works!

The strange thing is that my old PCB works fine!!

Why this hapens? Does the chips have any problem?

Please help me. I have about 50pcbs

mikes

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 01:43:01 +0000

Have you checked that your power supply is putting out 3.3 volts. Where I work we had a problem recently where the bootloader said it was loading but the checksum failed because the voltage was high enough for the chip to run but not for the flash to overwrite the existing data.

EmbeddedMan

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 04:59:23 +0000

One of the chipKIT developers had almost the same problem, and (after many frustrating days) tracked it down to a faulty switching power supply design on the new board spin which didn't supply the full 3.3V to the PIC32. Instead, it was like 2.5 or something. This allowed the PIC32 to run, but NOT self-program the Flash in the bootloader. So one thing to check is your power rails. Make sure they're a nice solid 3.3V.

*Brian

acmilangr

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 08:01:15 +0000

i checked the power supply. i checked every capacitor and it has 3.34v

is it posible the chips to be fake? i think i ordered from china long time ago

majenko

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 11:20:45 +0000

Is the current board you are using the same as the existing (working) boards?

Can you post a high-res, close-up, clear photograph of one of the suspect chips, showing all the markings in detail? I can compare it to some known genuine (direct from Microchip) chips I have here.

acmilangr

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 17:41:17 +0000

i am not sure if i can get so close photo. i need a good camera

but i can tell that it is not exacly like this photo http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g7BKtHakrrg/TVvAmwXEc3I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/zsfyI88zWuM/s1600/TQFP_100_with_PIC32MX795.jpg

there some small changes in the corners. can you see the small circle on bottom left side? mine have them too but there are 2 more circles (with double size) on the corners oposite up and down

acmilangr

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:28:53 +0000

can i send an arduino code from MPLAB to PIC32MX? if i take the temp.hex can i upload it via MPLAB?

with that i will check if it works or not

acmilangr

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:37:25 +0000

OK. I Succed to get a photo. i used a scanner

just zoom it to check it please

majenko

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 21:32:39 +0000

Dang, you've got the I/PF - I only have the I/PT (the smaller footprint version) which looks different.

That being said, I have some I/PF versions of the dsPIC33FJ256GP710A, and some (though not all) have those extra circles (2011 week 30 has, 2011 week 34 hasn't).

The actual printing of the PIC32 logo looks suspect though.

On all mine the PIC is made up of an outline, with horizontal bands filling it. The 32 is just an empty outline. That may just be your scanner blurring it, but you might want to check with a magnifying glass.

Some are a little blurred, but you can still make out the outline and bands if you look closely enough.

Here's a picture of mine, enhanced, so you can see what I mean:

[attachment=0]pic32logo.png[/attachment]

acmilangr

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 22:54:36 +0000

32 logo seems really difference.

Can companies create fakes PIC32 Chips? For what i remember i bought them on really low price (about 4-5 dollars) .

Can a fake chip be readen from PICKIT 3 with success?

tomorrow i will order some new from Farnell.

acmilangr

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 22:40:43 +0000

i am really sad...

i got new one (100% original from farnell) and i have the same problem.

I really dont know what to do... Can i upload MPIDE scetces from MPLAB?

BloodyCactus

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:53:01 +0000

maybe. have you tried grabbing the HEX file output from mpide, then creating a new project in mplabx and importing the hex file and deploying that?

acmilangr

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:05:31 +0000

i am trying with no success....

i really dont know what is going wrong...

i have ceramic capacitors to all supply pins. RX,TX connected to the FTDI, crystal connected. Why i cant upload any scetch??

i have tried on 4 pcbs. only the chip is little difference (3 cycles) but it is original

:( :( :(

acmilangr

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:33:21 +0000

Have you checked that your power supply is putting out 3.3 volts. Where I work we had a problem recently where the bootloader said it was loading but the checksum failed because the voltage was high enough for the chip to run but not for the flash to overwrite the existing data.

how could i know if bootloader succed to be flashed? how to check checksum?

acmilangr

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 16:38:12 +0000

Finally the problem was on...solderings. It seems i overheated the chip that made it not to work anymore

Actually i was soldered it in 700F and then i cleared with wick.

I tried this time to solder in 600F and all was fine.

Can you recomend temperature soldering?

Thanks alot for your answers Problem Solved!

EmbeddedMan

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 00:57:22 +0000

The standard temperature I use at home and is recommended all over is 350C, which is 662F, so you're really not far off.

*Brian

acmilangr

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 18:43:21 +0000

i think that i overheated it when i was clearing the pis with the wick